West Ham sacked manager Julen Lopetegui after six months in charge following nine defeats and six wins in the first 20 games of the Premier League season.
The Hammers spent a net £85.2m in the summer but are 14th after their 4-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday, seven points above the relegation zone.
“The first half of the 2024/25 season is not in line with the club’s ambitions,” West Ham said in a statement, adding that they were acting to meet their “objectives”.
A 5-0 defeat against Liverpool on December 29 extended their poor home run to one win in five games, after starting the campaign with three straight defeats at the London Stadium.
West Ham United can confirm that head coach Julen Lopetegui has left the club today.
— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 8, 2025
Next West Ham manager: Graham Potter?
Graham Potter is expected to succeed Lopetegui, with BBC Sport reporting that the former Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and Swansea City manager was in talks to join, initially on a short-term basis.
Lopetegui’s scheduled press conference on Wednesday was canceled before the 58-year-old started training in preparation for Friday’s FA Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa (20:00 GMT).
Assistant manager Pablo Sanz, head of performance Oscar Caro, chief analyst Juan Vicente Peinado, fitness coach Borja De Alba and technical coach Edu Rubio also left West Ham.
The Hammers return to Premier League action at home to ninth-placed Fulham on January 14 (7.30pm) before hosting 15th-placed Crystal Palace four days later (4pm).
Potter’s first away league game could be against eighth-placed Villa on January 26 (4:30 p.m.).
More to come
